Floors emitting mercury vapor have now been found in several school districts in New Jersey. Schools have been using rubber-like polyurethane floors since the 1960s. Some of these floors, installed as late as 2006, contain phenyl mercuric acetate (PMA), a catalyst that releases odorless, colorless mercury vapor. Any item that has been in contact with these contaminated floors emits harmful mercury vapor indefinitely.
Recently, several New Jersey schools have had to confront concerned parents and staff members regarding these toxic floors, as well as the exorbitant cost to remove and remediate them. One such stand-out parent is Colette Staab of Washington Township who has mobilized fellow parents to get engaged and to stay informed by attending local school board meetings and pushing for greater transparency.
Read the full opinion-editorial on NJ.com from the Star-Ledger by Heather Sorge, Healthy Schools Now organizer for the NJ Work Environment Council and Trisha Sheehan is the national field manager for Moms Clean Air Force.
